1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for displacing a continuous flat, sheet of material and particularly to a conveyor suitable for carrying pliable sheet material such as an uncured rubber compound.
2. Description of Related Art
Sheets of such material are conventionally made by extrusion or calendering and may comprise a flat sheet 80-100 cms wide but only 3 or 4 mm thick.
Extruded sheet compound is usually trimmed by edge trimming knife blades and to do this most effectively requires accurate and adjustable alignment of the sheet as it is conveyed to the knife blades along a conveyor.
Sideways displacement of sheet of this type is conventionally achieved by means of carrying the material to a roller substantially displaced above the feed conveyor and slightly twisting the sheet during the displacement to provide a turn in the sheet path, carrying the sheet on a straight conveyor length to a second high mounted roller and then bringing the sheet back to its original conveyor level with a second twist to return the path to one displaced from but parallel to the original feed direction.
Such conveyor devices, however, are long and high and do not allow effective adjustment of the amount of sideways displacement as is required to adjust the feed to edge trimming knives or the like. Furthermore they are not suitable for a thin or particularly pliable sheet as the sheet is not supported during its vertical twisting movements.